BOWLING

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1926, Page 4

BOWLING

CENTRE SHIELD GAMES FIRST ROUND COMPLETED. (By “Toucher.”) Last Saturday saw the completion of the first round in the Centre’s shield competition in the Northern Division, and, as usual this season, a '.’old wind made things unpleasant. There has not been one Saturday afternoon so far this season on which play has been prevented by rain, but there has also not been one Saturday when, owing to cold and strong winds, have ideal bowling conditions prevailed. I know bowlers will pardon me when I refer to the weather, but the essence of the game depends so much on the atmospherical conditions that reference to the weather is quite apt. Dr. Johnson, by the way, would allow none of his friends to fill up gaps in conversation with comments on the weather. “Let us not talk of the weather,”'he would magisterially say. No doubt he agreed with a proverb current in his time—“ Change of weather is the discourse of fools.” But, being an Englishman, he could not endure to the end against the national temptation. To Dr. Burney he wrote: “The weather, you know, has not been balmy; I am now reduced to think, and ant at last content to talk, about the weather. Pride must have a fall.” Walpole's letters, on the contrary, are full of refer-* enees to Twitnamshire’s weather and its effect on the crops in his garden at Strawberry; but even he had moments of shame for this chronic garrulity on so ordinary a theme. “I may as well finish when I have nothing bjtter to talk of than the weather,” he writes; “it shows what a retired and insipid mortal I am.”

How long the weather has been the theme of common converse has evidence in Holy Writ. It was doubtless employed in man’s earliest essays at speech in efforts to find a ground of Intercourse with his fellows. In old English chronicles, to come nearer home, are sage comments of the kind. The habit we perpetuate lias later example, quite in our manner, in the comment of Simon Forman on the abnormality of England’s summer in 1594: “The 10 dae of Julii many did syt by the fyer, yt was so cold; and so was yt in Maye and June; and scarce too fair dais together all that tyme.” There is some comfort in that for us Britishers who nowadays growl at unseasonable summers. They are no worse off than their fathers. Such upsettings of the usual order have ever been. Swift has something to say about “plaguy twelve-penny weather” —Iris grumbles are occasionally barbed with worse adjectives than “plaguy”—and Gay writes of “shilling weather.” The illusion is to the price of a ride in a hired conveyance. And there was worse tUan»that, as witness Swift’s ill-temper in the winter of 1713: “Our weather is very bad and slobbery, and I shall spoil my new hat (I have bought a new hat) or empty my pockets.” But there you are! The greatest of us cannot alter these things, and the wisest of us would not like to try if we had the chance. The utmost we can do is to take things as they come, sparing a word of thanksgiving when the elements are gracious and lavishing our growls when they are out of sympathy with our mood. NORTHERN DIVISION RESULTS. Fitzroy had a good win over New Plymouth by a margin of nine points. They were 10 up on their own green and one down at New Plymouth. On the latter green Bennett and Horton had a good “go.” They were 4 all on the 4th head, 7 all on the 7th head, 9 all on the 10th, 14 all on the loth, 17 all on the 20th and 18 all on the 22nd. On the 23rd Bennett got in a single, but ■Horton got in a three and a single on the remaining heads and won by three points. Dingle was not in the picture with Ford in three parts of the game, for he had only scored 8 to his opponent’s 25 on the 19th head. He did better in the later stages and suffered defeat by 12 points. Jury and A. K. Smart were 5 all on the 6th head, and then the latter got slightly in front and maintained his lead to the 21st head, when the scores were again level—lB all. On the next head Smart got a four, to which Jury replied with a brace of twos, and was again level. On the last heal Smart scored another four and won by that margin. Williams had the whip hand of "Harry” Fookes, being 22 to 6 on the loth head. On the remaining heads the scoring was fairly even, and Williams eventually won by 15 poiats. On the 6th head McCarty and Telfar were 6 all. Then the latter got a slight lead but on the 14th head MeCarty got a four and the lead, which Telfar evened with a two on the next head. Thereafter Telfar gradually drew away and won by six points. Price had the advantage of 20 to 7

against McLeod on the 16th head, but on reaching the 21st head was tut four in the lead. On the remaining heads McLeod failed to seore, and Price ran out a winner by 13 points. The game between Martin and Nasmith was characterised by the uphill fight put up by the latter. Martin led by 12 to 3 on the Sth head, 17 to 8 on the 14th and 22 to 10 on the 17th. The New Plymouth team then came at theh opponents, allowing Martin to score but two singles, while they put in a 4,1, 6, 2,1, 4 and after ticing on'the 24th head won by four points on the last head. At the Fitzroy green McNeill’s win over Drake by 14 points, Murray’s deIfeat of Washer by 13, and P. White’s 111-point margin over J, R. Hill were the deciding factors. Johnson reduced Fitzroy’s advantage by defeating Hammond by 13 points, while H. Smart finished six points up* on. Rennell. West End “put it over” Paritutu, winning easily in all rinks bar one, wherein Jackson retrieved lost laurels by winning by one point from Beau West End's advantage was 57 points. Wnitara carried too many guns for Vogeltown, especially the hot combination which Nosworthy possesses and keeps together. This rink finished 16 points up on Robertson, and the score had considerable bearing on the marginal club victory of 13 points. The position in the Northern Division at, the conclusion of the first round is as follows:-

THE SOUTHERN DIVISION. The Hawera B team defeated the Hawera A team last Wednesday by nine points. On Saturday Park defeated Manaia, while Patea proved superior to Hawera. Owing to the non-reeeipt of the result of some games I regret being unable to publish the exact positions of the clubs to date, and would be pleased to receive same from the officials controlling the competition in the Southern Division. THE GILMOUR CL P. Somenlfeeb contests arc ensuing for the Gilmouh Cup'this season. West Eml hfflTx nairpw. escitm; from defeat at the hands r ’of Waitara ’last Thursday, the town team just getting home by three points. Fitzroy had an easy win over the combined Vogeltown and Paritutu Club. At present West End and New Plymouth are leading in this competition. GENERAL ITEMS. Bowlers hope “It ain’t going to rain no more” —at anyrate for a month ot Saturdays. Entries for the New Year tournament of the Taranaki Centre close on Decern: ter 18.

Mr. V. Casey is bringing three New South Welshmen over with him to take part in the Rotorua tournament early in February. President Jim Wall, of New South Wales Bowling Council, said the other night that we can overdo social bowls. He is a great believer in efficiency, and his remark means mueh in little. It is safe to say that as the years roll by the good old game is getting keener.

So the visit of a Queensland team is not iikely to eventuate after all. What a pity. They would have been given a right royal time all up and down the Dominion. Perhaps a small party may r ake the trip if the New South Wales team comes over in January, ft would please all New Zealand bowlers to have our friends from the other side taking part in the Dominion tournament. Mr. W. E. Spencer, of Thornclon, is a retired, educationalist, and between his garden and bowls ho finds the time passes very pleas-ntly, says a Veilington writer. He came to Wellington from Taranaki in 1907, joined Thorndou Club in 1908, and has been a member ever since. He was inspector of schools in Taranaki, and on coming to Wellington was made officer in charge of educational buildings , under the department. Golf was his favourite pastime until he came to the capital city. He renders his club great scrv.ice in keeping the records of the games, in which he is very methodical, amt he enjoys the job. He is often called upon to render services in the centre events a. l umpire.

Kahutia Bowling Club (Gvffi.'ine) hopes to commerce ere long the erection of a tme new pavilion which will cost in the vicinity of £l5OO. Lady Carroll recently entertained the president and the executive of the club at a social evening during which she presented the secretary with a cheque for £5OO towards the building fund, in addition to which the late Sir James Carroll dona*' ed a further £2OO, and now the committee, which has a number of promises of further assistance, hopes to let the contract for the erection of the building before the end of the present year. The building will he a two-storied one, the bottom portion being finished inconcrete and the top story in wood. It will be easily the finest pavilion in the district, and one of which members will feel justly proud. The erection of the new pavilion offers an excellent opportunity to the club to perpetuate the memory of so good a friend to the club in a fitting way. Gustafson, the Australian champion, is easily the best bowler at present In Australia, say an Aussie writer Probably his record of 21 consecutive victories, with 489 credit points to 207 against, gained in. two States, and an Australian championship, has never been equalled, nor has any other bowler rivalled Gustafson’s performance of winning a State singles championship and leading the ehampion State to a final victory on the same day. To achieve this dual record Gustafson played 104 heads between 9.30 a.m. and 8.15 p.m., with only a brief luncheon adjournment, and yet his 103rd head was perhaps his finest for the day. In 20 seasons Gustafson has won one Australian singles championship, and three State singles championships. Probably Gustafson is entitled to rank as the best bow’er the State has ever produced, not even excluding the wizard Corpaccioli. The simplest ways are often the best. Two New Zealand Kiwis who visited Strathfield (N.S.W.) lately were much taken with the method in vogue there of running a chalked line some 20 feet in length outwards from the number* disc. This enables the mat to le laid properly without hesitation and fcr the kittv to be straightened quickly. The use of the chalked line saves something like 15 minntes in an afternoon’s gam®, a big consideration.

Pl. W. L Points Fur. Ag. IVesi End .... • 5 5 0 1303 1092 Fitzrov ■» 4 1 1136 1015 Waitara 5 3 2 813 750 New Plymouth 2 3 1210 112(1 Paritutn 5 1 4 574 871 Vogel town 5 0 5 6C8 791